It occurred the me the other day that I have been playing Mega CD games for 10 years now. I’m sure there are also tones of classic titles I still haven’t played. So with that I decided I would go through my collection and play a few more titles for a while. With that in mind this month with be Mega CD Month.

SONIC CD Mega CD Pal | 1993 This was the first ever Mega CD game that I ever played and what a way to start. Sonic CD is one of the less known Sonic titles being it was the only Sonic game to grace the Mega CD and so far to have Sonic Travelling through time. You have to save the timeless world of Little Planet from the nasty plans of Robotnik as well as rescue your girlfriend Amy Rose and face off against newest bad guy – Metal Sonic. Each zone of the game has 4 distinct time periods with your actions determining a good future or a future where Robotnik has taken control. The game has some great graphics coupled with a pumping soundtrack. Some secret content to unlock ups the last ability. You can see more information about Sonic CD in the Sonic section. Link to Sonic Section Link to Sonic CD

ETERNAL CHAMPIONS: CHALLENGE FROM THE DARK SIDE Mega CD Pal | 1995 This is a far superior version to that released on the Mega Drive. It also ranks as an excellent example as to how the system should be used for making excellent games. Unfortunately the game was highly overlooked. The Eternal Champion has snatched warriors from different places and times before their untimely deaths. They have all been entered into a tournament to fight to save the world. Eternal Champion is unaware of the 4 warriors from the Dark Side the Dark Eternal Champion has been hiding as well as the 4 he hides himself. Upgrades from the Mega Drive version include double the amount of playable characters, new special moves, a new combo system, some nasty fatalities, more game modes and more including a slew of options for 2-player mode. There are 13 characters to play and 14 unlockable with some being not so human. An example being the formidable Crispy the Chicken! The graphics are top-notch for the system and the sound track is quite good. It has good lastability as the AI can be quite challenging. This was one of the later Mega CD games to be released and comes with a 15 certificate no doubt due to the intricate and sometimes amusing fatalities.

KEIO FLYING SQUADRON Mega CD Pal | 1995 This is a cute horizontal shooter from JVC. Is another great little game lost on the system. You play the part of Rami - you are a young scantily clad bunny girl riding her trusty dragon – Spot. You are off to the ship of Dr Pon to recover the Key to the Secret Treasure. As with any shooter you simply destroy what comes on the screen. There are several large enemies throughout each level and a boss waiting at the end. The story is followed with cut scenes and don’t intrude on the gameplay. It is a great game sporting a graphical flare not usually found on the system usually that is unfortunately a little short with only 6 levels. This was one of the very last Mega CD games to be released and is relatively rare. A sequel was later released on the Saturn in Japan only.

NIGHT TRAP Mega CD Pal | 1993 This was in my first contingent of Mega CD games also. Playing the game this time for nostalgic reasons. It’s amusing how this game caused so much fuss. It was obvious that those who were making the noise about the game never really played it. If they had they would know their charges didn’t carry any weight and the fact the game was pretty crap. It’s interesting to consider that Mortal Kombat came out around about the same time with far less hysteria. For more information on this game the following links: Night Trap - Games of the Month - August 03

SOUL STAR Mega CD Pal | 1994 Another great shoot ‘em up from Core Design and worth digging out again and again. It is a pleasant gaming experience taking a good hour to complete and the atmosphere when battling through the stages created by the classical sound track is great. Not to mention the graphics are pretty good too. Soul Star - Games of the Month - December 02

FINAL FIGHT Mega CD Pal | 1993 An almost flawless conversion of the Capcom arcade classic. This version adds a Time Attack mode where you must waste as many Mad Gear thugs as you can in a limited amount of time. The 2 Player co-op mode is also great fun. For more info see Final Fight - Games of the Month - June 03

SILPHEED Mega CD Pal | 1993 From expert programmers Game Arts this is easily one of the most impressive titles in the Mega CD library. A terrorist group have taken over the central computer on Earth. Your squad of experimental ships must make the 64-Light Year trip back and restore control. The gameplay is basic vertical shooter style. Your ship can be powered up and customised with various weapons. There are 12 stages in all which will take you through fleets of ships locked in battle, across a hexagon tiled fortress to the oceans and mountains of Earth. What made this game so impressive at the time was the graphics. They are wonderfully animated polygons with no Super FX chip required. Silpheed has recently been resurrected for the Playstation 2. Check this brilliant title in more detail in the Silpheed Feature.

TERMINATOR Mega CD Pal | 1993 This is an upgrade to the earlier Mega Drive version. The game now includes new levels, FMV and CD audio. You take the role of Kyle Reese and blast your way through 10 stages of intense platform action destroying terminators, tanks, spider robots and air craft. The game begins in the apocalyptic future and works back to 1984. The graphics are sharp and the scrolling is smooth. The FMV sequences are pretty low quality but they only show up between levels. Effort has been made to keep the musical score in line with the movie also.

GROUND ZERO TEXAS Mega CD Pal | 1993 Another interactive movie title and from the same company who bought us infamous Night Trap. A small town in Texas called El Cadron is ground zero for it’s the place where an alien invasion is underway. People are being taken to a mother ship in orbit and not being returned. The pesky aliens have taken on human form so you must watch towns people go on about their daily business before you can spot the imposters and destroy them preferably before they destroy you. You control 4 weapons turrets at locations in the town and must use them to destroy the invaders. Compared to Night Trap this is a slightly more evolved interactive movie.

SOL-FEACE Mega CD Pal | 1991 Sol-Feace is a simple 2D horizontal shooter similar to R-Type. It was included with the machine in the original launch of the Mega CD. Your mission is to destroy a computer life form – the GCS-WT which has taken control of hundreds of solar systems including ours. Your ship can be upgraded with 3 additional weapons which you can select as to which point they are mounted on your ship. With only 6 levels it’s short and sweet for a quick blast every 10 years or so.

COBRA COMMAND Mega CD Pal | 1992 This is an anime-style interactive movie. Immediate comparisons to the likes of Night Trap and Ground Zero Texas should not be made as this game requires much more interaction than the aforementioned. The game has 10 missions which will take you through the streets of New York, Rome, through thick jungles and underground to reach their main base targeted for destruction. You must blast out choppers, planes tanks, turrets using your guns and missiles as well as avoiding the odd hazard such as falling rocks and buildings. This game was packaged with Sol-Feace in the launch of the machine. It was part of a series of similar games which included Road Avenger and Timegal.